1. “U.S. to meet with Iran over its nuclear program” (Washington Post). Now, nothing like that has ever been tried before, so who knows…right? Well, numerous past attempts at “reaching out” to Iran have produced one predictable result: “Iran’s fist” is “clenched” tighter. See also these semi-satirical status updates on “Iran’s fist.”
2. For those interested in policy on Iran, here’s a fascinating exposé of Seymour Hersh, a prominent jewel in The New Yorker’s crown. He has regularly come out with stunning revelations about U.S. policy on Iran. Except his claims have proven wrong, consistently, for years. “The Deceits of Seymour Hersh.” A flavor:
Last June, the distinguished American journalist Seymour Hersh published an article in the New Yorker entitled “Iran and the Bomb: How Real Is the Nuclear Threat?” His answer: not very. There exists no “irrefutable evidence of an ongoing hidden nuclear-weapons program in Iran,” Hersh asserted, relying upon the words of anonymous “intelligence and diplomatic officials.” Hersh concluded with a quote from Mohamed ElBaradei, who had retired as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) two years earlier: “During my time at the agency,” ElBaradei said, “we haven’t seen a shred of evidence that Iran has been weaponizing, in terms of building nuclear-weapons facilities and using enriched materials.”
A week before Hersh’s piece hit newsstands, news came of a letter sent by Yukiya Amano, ElBaradei’s successor, to the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. The IAEA had received “further information related to such possible undisclosed nuclear-related activities.” Amano wished to “reiterate the concern about the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program.”
The article makes Hersh look like a raving agitprop in the guise of a journalist.
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